India

‘Working Committee has unanimously passed a resolution to elevate Rahul as President’

New Delhi: The working committee of the Congress Party met on Monday to start the process of electing the new party chief.

In a press conference, the party announced that the poll notification will be issued on December 1 and the nomination and scrutiny process will be completed by December 5. The last date for withdrawal of nomination is December 11. Voting, if needed, will be held on December 16 and results will be declared on December 19, the party said.

Randeep Surjewala, the Congress spokesman, said CWC members have unanimously passed a resolution to elevate Rahul Gandhi as the Congress president.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who chaired the meeting, is likely to step down from the role and could continue as chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party.

“Sonia Gandhi is our leader and mentor. She has always guided the Congress party. Her able leadership and guidance will always be available. Not only to Rahulji, also to the thousands and thousands of party worker,” Surjewala said.

The Indian Express first reported on Sunday that party vice-president Rahul Gandhi is expected to be elevated to the role of president within the next few weeks.

Last year, Rahul Gandhi was asked by the CWC to take over as president but he preferred to get formally elected. He has been running the party affairs for quite some time owing to the ill-health of Sonia Gandhi, who is Congress’ longest-serving president.

If elected unopposed, Rahul Gandhi will take over as President before the assembly election results in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat are declared.

Meanwhile, at the CWC meeting, Congress president Sonia Gandhi lashed at the Narendra Modi-led government at Centre for allegedly “sabotaging” the Parliament Winter Session.

“Modi govt in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on India’s Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter Session of Parliament on flimsy grounds. Modi Govt is mistaken if it thinks that by locking the temple of democracy, it will escape constitutional accountability ahead of the assembly elections. Prime Minister had the audacity to have a midnight celebration in Parliament to launch an ill-prepared and flawed GST but today he lacks the courage to face Parliament,” Sonia Gandhi was quoted as saying.

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